Learn the value of saying no

To clarify your view of success, choose to rethink what you say. Words are power. As you think before you act, and realize limits you do or don't set, you will learn to accept responsibility for your life.  Success isn't about what you do or whom you impress, its about defining your milestones. Trust and contentment begin inside not outside yourself.

Whenever you stop taking responsibility, you succomb to temptation and wallow in excuses.  Identify your underlying motivation.  Learn to see through your own procrastination.  Find courage to face fear.  Decide you will overcome challenges.  All you have to do is look within to assess your weaknessess.  You'll discern what works. 

Recognize that saying yes is not always in your interest.  Appeasing everyone is unrealistic.  Some opportunities that present themselves will only encourage you to deviate from your path.  Do you sense it? Every choice isn't right for you.  Just because some people seem superhuman or would find a choice you face appealing, doesn't mean you follow suit.  You can't progress until you take responsibility.  

As you make the conscious decision to be accountable for what hasn't worked in your life, for what does and doesn't work now, for perceived mistakes and failure, you learn what it means to be loyal to yourself.  Rediscover who you are again, as if for the first time.

Relieve yourself

Analysis of the week on dream submitted by Elsie of Melbourne, Australia.

Dream - I walked through a narrow corridor narrow between spacious bedrooms. It was like a wardrobe with white walls of cupboards. I saw a person standing in each room amidst sheets that hung down from the ceiling like curtains. They saw me but not each other. As I walked into an adjoining bathroom, water flowed upwards from the blue tile floor. I didn't feel wet or uncomfortable but rather, refreshed. The drain was in the corner of a slanted dip in the floor. I was confused about the origin of water. I sat on a toilet in the wardrobe between the rooms. I was visible to people in each room. I asked them to move. They saw me, and chose to stay put. I was fine with that.

Predominant Emotions - apprehensive, inquisitive, uncertain, self-acceptance

Interpretation - You recognize you conceal things from yourself. Yet, you are encouraged to be truer to your essential nature. You move toward significant life transitions which require you to reveal some buried truth. Learn to act without trying to be moral or just. Stop placing limits on yourself. Morality represents standards of right and wrong that have been imposed and you try to follow. Relieve yourself from unnecessary constraints. Let go of misconceptions. Trace them back to conditioning.

Overflowing water reveals you desire to fully express emotions that are not yet unveiled. Listen to creative and uplifting perspectives. Your life will no longer seem draining. In fact, a change of heart will definitely boost your energy and your spirits. Remind yourself there's no such thing as "a wasted effort."

Recognize a slanted floor confirms that you have likely deviated from your original plans. Its time to get back on track. Consider this a wake-up call to believe in where you are. 

10 Tips to get in touch with "the real you"

To get in touch with the real-you, it pays to to approach your life with understanding and discipline.  But, how do you do it?  How do you convince yourself of a vision in your head?

We are all conditioned to put limits on ourselves, to assume we are how people see us.  We may even evolve into someone else's vision.   How do you keep fears in check? You find courage to explore yourself. This teaches you to bring calm to chaos.  Figuring out who you are requires you learn to understand that how your behavior affects your life. 

To take charge of the situations you find yourself in, you really need to learn how and why you think.  You can grow to know yourself much better than you already do. Would you like to see yourself differently? Would you like to know what you need to do to know the life you were born to live? You can move your life in more meaningful directions.

1) Move beyond how other people label you.  Meet and exceed standards you expect.  Behavior and attitude tell you a lot about yourself. Notice how you react to others with emotion or indifference.  Distance yourself from what is said.  Re-revaluate.

2) Listen to your intuition.  To take note of a little voice inside will enable you to trust yourself and make more timely decisons.  Your impulses are valid and very meaningful.

3) Assume responsibility.  Rather than blame others for feeling bad or not knowing what you like, take steps to explore your interests.  Figure things out accurately for yourself.

4) Devote yourself to service. Your authentic self becomes more visible as you focus on altruism and helping others. Your choices reveal facits of your passions.

5) Reflect before you react.  Some people are quick to assume something is or isn't right for them without really thinking things through.  Examine reasons for assumptions. 

6)  Decide to be more aware. Become an astute observer of yourself and what’s around you. Learn to step back from life and impartially assess how you react and think and feel.

7) Nurture courage.  Realize what is yours also characterizes you. This can't be taken away from you.  You only give away your power to self-discover with your consent.

8) Recognize the influence of your beliefs.  If you didn't believe in something, it won't matter to you.  Whether you think you're talented or not, your right. What of potential?

9) Bring pain & fear to the surface.  You make make choices based on dysfunction, past hurt or anticipated judgment.  Fear of external approval or disapproval may cloud reality.

10) Prepare to take some risks.  The desire to feel safe and less vulnerable holds people back from exploring their self. The journey will show you who you are is nothing to fear.

How can you stop striving for satisfaction?

Striving for satisfation is seen as a legitimate way to live your life. If you're working toward something, then you're goal-oriented, motivated and generally live for tomorrow. 

Perhaps this sounds like you.  Do you ever sense you're missing something? Insisting you need things you don't have suggests you are missing something.  When will you trade in striving for an understanding of arriving where you are meant to be?  That is, when will you realize you are satisfied as you are, where you are, and doing what you're doing? 

If you have no goal in mind, does not everything you attempt then succeed? Have you ever thought what your life would be like if you were flexible and open to possibilities? What would happen if you stopped limiting yourself to what you assumed was necessaary to succeed? Which unseen doors would open if you trusted yourself and the unexpected?

1) Stop seeing all of your doubts in other people.  You choose to project your anger and fears in others.  Everyone tests your beliefs and sensitivities.  Only as you grow to accept everything about self will you become indifferent to how events unfold.  Believe every result is in your favor.  Ego-based expectations and assumptions do not honor the inner child.  Nobody causes you to lose touch with your soul without your consent.     

2) Follow the laws of nature.  You don't need to force things to happen or do what you think is neceassry to become the person in charge.  Observe nature's conditions and discern benefits in cycles.  Setbacks enable us to settle our minds and gain perspective.  How could you listen differently, be more instinctive, appreciate life's 'ups and downs'?

3) Eliminate fearful self-judgment. Thoughts of deficiency only attract it.  Believe greatness is on its way.  You get what you think about, whether you consciously want it or not.  Circumstances do not influence your peace of mind. If you choose confusion or blame, this prevents you from taking responsibility for what you feel.  Rather than resist believng you deserve or already live in abundance, choose gratitude and grace instead. 

What does your heart ache for?

Part of you is driven to pursue a life based on what society conditions and people expect. What you do for a living doesn't define you unless it is your conscious response to a calling from your soul. Do you dare to dream of responding to your heart? Are you bold enough to be true to yourself? What kinds of implications will this have for you now?

Back in school, you may have learned about certain work choices. Your ideas for jobs are often grounded in people you know or hear about.  Funny thing is, we are unaware how we limit ourselves. We get a sense of what we think we should do rather than clarify what we would like to do. Our choices may model others but alienate us from who we are.

It may not surprise you to admit you sense dissatisfaction.  You may not yet have learned to accurately identify preferences, gifts, or talents. The voice of your soul may be ignored, stifled or overwhelmed by external trends and expectations. Come what may, your inner voice translates the language of your heart. Its never too late to really listen.